


dad of the year

by greatdaytobeahawk



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Coming Out, Cosette And Enjolras Are Siblings, F/M, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, References to Sex, Siblings fighting, boys kissing in their underwear, enjolras is not bad at relationships for once, grantaire and enjolras are happy and in love, grantaire and marius are confused and scared boyfriends, grantaire is a pure bean, grantaire the matchmaker, i really love this enjolras and cosette being twins trope, jean valjean is dad of the year every year, let’s play who can catch the hello dolly reference, marius is also rlly insecure, marius is dumb but we love him anyway, they’re sibling goals honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 10:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12033912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatdaytobeahawk/pseuds/greatdaytobeahawk
Summary: Cosette leaned in to look around Marius and down the table at her father. “Daddy, could you pass the salt?”“Oh, here you go, Cosette,” Marius said. He grabbed the salt from off the table and handed it to her.She took it slowly with an odd look on her face.When Marius looked back toward Valjean, the man’s eyes were narrowed.It took him a moment, but when Marius realized what he had just done he began to stammer and sweat and shake his head. “Oh, no! No! That’s not — it’s not — not like that! Oh my god! It’s just — sir, no — the salt was closer to me — it was right there — right in front of me — so I thought — I could just — oh my god!”





	dad of the year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pantasticlams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pantasticlams/gifts).



> i haven't posted any les mis in a while so here ya go

Enjolras and Cosette supposed they really screwed themselves over by trying to backstab each other. And when I say they screwed themselves over I mean they really,  _ really  _ screwed themselves over. After all, this was probably the most awkward situation either of them had ever been in — and that was saying something. They’d both gotten themselves into some pretty awkward situations, of course, but  _ this  _ — this was on a whole new level. They were sat with their dad, their boyfriends, and Eponine trying to have a civil dinner and, well —

 

Actually, you know what? Allow me to explain in a bit more detail. Let’s rewind. 

 

It was a normal Wednesday night which meant that Jean Valjean was working late and his son, Enjolras, was sneaking out of the house. And by sneaking out I mean he left the house and expected his sister, Cosette, to cover for him. 

  
“You’re going to get caught one of these days, you know,” Cosette told him, arms crossed. 

 

“I am not,” he said, eyebrows raised. 

 

“Why do you bother with these meetings anyway?” Cosette questioned. “They’re dumb. What do you even do?”

 

“You should come with me,” Enjolras said. “Dad won’t be home until after the meeting is over, he never is.”

 

“Uh — no thanks,” Cosette said. “I’ll pass.”

 

“Come on!” Enjolras insisted. “It’ll be fun. We have a good time at our meetings you know.”   
  


“Hm, I don’t know,” Cosette said. “Eponine might call and —”

 

“Eponine calls every night, you’ll talk to her tomorrow,” Enjolras said with a roll of his eyes. “Come  _ on,  _ you’ll love it.”

 

“Are there cute boys?” Cosette asked. 

 

Enjolras frowned. “Why do you care?”

 

“You know I’m straight, right?” Cosette said. “Your gay isn’t a hereditary thing.”

 

“Yes, I  _ know, _ ” Enjolras huffed. “But you don’t need a man and you shouldn’t be scoping them out as some sense of fulfillment. You’re a great young woman all on your own and —”

 

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Cosette held up a hand in Enjolras’ face. “I know that I don’t need a man, and it’s not for a sense of fulfillment. It’s just that I can be a feminist and a hoe at the same time. So I repeat, are there cute boys?”   
  


“Yes, there are,” Enjolras said and he nodded. 

 

“Okay,” Cosette said. “Are they all gay?”

 

“Not all of them,” Enjolras said. 

 

Cosette shrugged. “Okay, I’ll come.”   
  
“Really?” Enjolras grinned. 

 

“Yeah, what the hell,” Cosette said. “Let’s go.”

 

“Nice!” Enjolras shouted. 

 

And so, they headed out. That was the Beginning of the End, as they would come to call it. 

 

Cosette was underwhelmed, to say the least, when she and her brother arrived at the cafe Musain. The place was nearly deserted apart from one employee standing behind the counter looking bored and an old man reading a newspaper in the corner. 

 

“Er — where are all your people?” Cosette asked. 

 

“Oh, they won’t be here for nearly another hour,” Enjolras said, stepping up to the counter. 

 

“The usual, Enjolras?” the bored employee asked. 

 

“Yes, thank you, Chetta.” Enjolras smiled. 

 

“Anything for you this evening?” Musichetta asked Cosette. 

 

“A latte, please,” Cosette said and Musichetta nodded and went to prepare their drinks. “So if no one is going to be here for another hour, why are  _ we  _ here?”

 

“I have to sort everything for the meeting,” Enjolras said. “I am the leader after all,” he added with an air of pride. 

 

“You’re a conceited asshole,” Cosette snorted. 

 

“Am not!” Enjolras scoffed. 

 

“‘I  _ am  _ the  _ leader  _ after all, ha ha ha!’” Cosette mocked Enjolras, over exaggerating each syllable and smirking dramatically. 

 

“ _ You’re  _ an asshole,” Enjolras said, glaring. 

 

Cosette shrugged.

 

Musichetta brought their drinks over and Enjolras paid, still glaring at his sister. 

 

“ _ God, _ ” Cosette huffed when they sat down at a table and Enjolras started pulling all of his papers out of his bag, still glaring at his twin, “don’t be so touchy. Get over it already.”

 

Enjolras rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the papers he had laid out in front of him. Cosette pulled out her phone and began scrolling aimlessly through her Instagram feed as Enjolras wasn’t talking to her anymore, so lost in his work for his meeting, and there was no one else for her to talk to. 

 

Toward the end of the hour, she texted her very best friend, Eponine, but she didn’t answer which kind of pissed Cosette off. She and Eponine  _ always  _ answered each other no matter what and now, when she really needed someone to talk to, Eponine wasn’t there for her. 

 

“Enjolras! My man!” A boy with dark curly hair burst into the cafe, grinning and shouting. “Musichetta! How are you?”

 

“I’m great. The usual, Courfeyrac?” Musichetta said, just as she had to Enjolras, and Courfeyrac nodded. “You know it, girl!” 

 

Courfeyrac dropped into the chair beside Enjolras. “Hey, Enj, who’s your friend?”

 

“This is my sister, Cosette,” Enjolras told him. “Cosette, this is Courfeyrac.”

 

“Oh my god, the infamous Cosette!” Courfeyrac exclaimed. “We’ve been begging Enj to introduce us to his precious baby sister for  _ ages! _ ”

 

Cosette glared at Enjolras. “I’m eleven minutes younger than you.”

 

“We’ve all heard so much about you,” Courfeyrac said. 

 

“All good things, I hope,” Cosette said. 

 

Courfeyrac laughed as if Cosette had told a very funny joke then jumped up and hurried off to get his drink from Musichetta. 

 

Cosette glared at her brother once more. “Well, this is off to a  _ great _ start,” she said sarcastically. “What do you tell your friends about me?”

 

Enjolras only shrugged, obviously not willing to admit to anything, and returned to his papers. 

 

The quiet that came after Courfeyrac walked away from them did not last because soon the rest of Enjolras’ group began to arrive. ( _ Is it a group? _ Cosette wondered.  _ Is it a club? Is it a squad? Is it a gang?  _ She was unsure.)

 

“Combeferre!” Courfeyrac ran up to one young man who had just entered. “You’ll never believe it! Enjolras’  _ sister  _ is here!”

 

“Enjolras’  _ sister?! _ ” The man who was supposedly called Combeferre repeated disbelievingly. “Bossuet, did you hear that?”

 

“Hear what?”

 

“Enjolras’ sister!”

 

“What about her?”

 

“She’s here!”

 

“No way!”

 

The news was spreading quickly and Cosette felt the urge to duck her head underneath the table and hide.

 

“Is she really?”

 

“Wait, she actually exists? My god, I was starting to think she was all made up in his head!”   
  


“Cosette is here?” A familiar voice said and Cosette looked up suddenly. 

 

“ _ Eponine? _ ” Cosette said, eyebrows raised. 

 

Eponine’s eyes found Cosette and she grinned. She ran over and sat down beside her. “Hi! What are you doing here?” She asked as she leaned over and hugged her friend.    
  
“I came with Enjolras,” Cosette said, shrugging. “I didn’t have anything better to do and he asked, so… But what are  _ you  _ doing here?”

 

“Oh, I started coming with Grantaire a while back.” 

 

Grantaire was Eponine’s  _ other  _ best friend who Cosette had heard plenty about but had never actually met. 

 

“But then I started to really listen and your brother has got some really interesting things to say,” Eponine explained. “So does everyone else here. So I became a regular.” 

 

“Huh,” Cosette said. “So where is the infamous Grantaire?”

 

“Over there.” Eponine pointed to a table in the corner of the cafe where a young man with black curls who must have been about her age sat all by himself. “I’ll come find you in a bit. I need to talk to Jehan.” 

 

Eponine stood and walked away, and Cosette got up too and marched over to Grantaire. She’d wanted to meet him for long enough but Eponine had always insisted that she and he wouldn’t get along. Regardless of anything Eponine said, there was only one way to know for sure. And Cosette  _ wanted  _ to know for sure — she’d never seen very many pictures of Grantaire but now that she could see him clearly and in person, she couldn’t help but notice that he was  _ cute.  _

 

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Cosette asked.

 

Grantaire looked up and smiled. “Not at all,” he said and gestured to the seat across from him. “I’m Grantaire,” he added, reaching across the table for Cosette’s hand. 

 

Cosette shook his hand, nodding. “Yeah, I know who you are. I’m Cosette, Eponine’s friend?”

 

“Eponine’s  _ best  _ friend,” Grantaire corrected with a small chuckle. “Well, aside from me of course,” he added playfully. “Oh, but I’ve heard all about you, Cosette. Enjolras tells us stories all the time, of course.”

 

“So I’ve heard.” Cosette rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s not as bad as you think,” Grantaire laughed. “He tells us a good old embarrassing story from time to time, don’t get me wrong, but what are brothers for? But he really thinks you’re awesome, he goes on about you all the time and it  _ isn’t  _ all bad. Who told you that it was?”

 

“Courfeyrac,” Cosette said. “Well, he didn’t say it exactly, but it was certainly implied.”

 

“Oh, yes, I’m sure it was. Don’t believe everything you hear from Courfeyrac,” Grantaire chuckled fondly. “He’s — he’s a  _ gem.  _ Let’s leave it at that.”

 

Cosette laughed.

 

“I’ve heard  _ wonderful  _ stories about you from Eponine, though. She never really stops, it’s always ‘ _ Cosette said this _ ’ and ‘ _ Cosette did that _ ’. She really adores you.” 

 

“You should hear how she goes on about you,” Cosette said. 

 

“Really?” Grantaire raised his eyebrows, shooting her an entirely disbelieving look. “And what, pray tell, does she say about me?”

 

“She says you’re smart,” Cosette said. 

 

“Eh.” Grantaire shrugged. 

 

“She says you’re very funny.” 

 

“Well, she is absolutely right about that!” Grantaire grinned. 

 

“You’re very cute,” Cosette said. 

 

“Good to know because to my face she tells me I’m an ugly bastard,” Grantaire snorted. 

 

“Actually those were my words, not hers,” Cosette said. 

 

“Oh,” Grantaire said and his smile quickly faded from his face. “Listen, Cosette, you’re very sweet, it’s just —”

 

“I’m sorry, I know, that was weird,” Cosette sighed, shaking her head quickly. “I mean we  _ just met.  _ I just —”

 

“No, it’s not that, it’s just that I’m kind of —”

 

“Gay?”

 

“No, I’m not gay, I just would never betray —”

 

“Your girlfriend?”

 

“Boyfriend — don’t you —”

 

“I thought you said —”

 

“Bisexual.”

 

“Right.”

 

“But,” Grantaire paused, his head beginning to spin just a little bit as a result of the conversation, “don’t you already know about my boyfriend?”

 

Cosette was puzzled. “Um… We just met like five minutes ago. How would I know about your  _ boyfriend? _ ”

 

“Well, he’s here,” Grantaire laughed. 

 

“Yeah, well I just met most of these people five minutes ago,” Cosette said. “Is it Courfeyrac?”

 

“No, I’m not really Courfeyrac’s type,” Grantaire said. 

 

“Oh, he’s straight?” Cosette asked. 

 

Grantaire laughed obnoxiously. “No, Courfeyrac is the gayest man alive. I just mean that Combeferre is Courfeyrac’s type.” 

 

“Combeferre is gay?” Cosette asked. 

 

“Yeah, why?” Grantaire laughed. 

 

“Oh, don’t get me wrong! I don’t care who’s gay, straight, bi, all of the above — I don’t know — whatever!” Cosette said quickly. “Love who you love as long as you’re happy.”   
  


“Don’t worry, that isn’t what I assumed,” Grantaire said.    
  
“I just meant that my brother has mentioned that  _ a lot  _ of people in this group club thing are gay and other LGBT identities and I just thought Combeferre might be one of the straight ones,” Cosette said with a shrug. “He and Joly are the only two people here other than Eponine and, obviously, Enjolras who I’ve met before tonight.”

 

“Oh, I got you,” Grantaire said. “But no, you were way off. Combeferre has no interest in boobs.”

 

“So who here does have an interest in boobs who I can go flirt with?” Cosette asked. “I don’t mean to sound like a total hoe, but…”

 

“Hey, I don’t judge.” Grantaire shrugged. “Now, let’s see. I mean you  _ could  _ go flirt with Jehan. They are a radical sunflower. They’re also pansexual as fuck —” he pointed across the room.

 

Cosette followed where he was pointing and her eyes landed on a person with flowy auburn hair and a crown of blood red roses perched atop their head. They were smiling brightly, seemingly at nothing but just for the heck of it. 

 

“Ooh, they’re cute.” Cosette smiled. 

 

“— but if you  _ do  _ go flirt with them Montparnasse might make bad things happen to you because he’s dating Jehan and he’s kind of super in love with them.”

 

“Who’s Montparnasse?” Cosette asked. 

 

Grantaire pointed to a tall man with shaggy hair and a leather jacket with a rose pinned to it. 

 

“Wow.  _ Edgy _ ,” Cosette laughed. “Okay, let me rephrase: who here is single and interested in girls and would date me?”   
  


“Musichetta.” Grantaire nodded toward the girl working behind the counter. 

 

“Okay, allow me to rephrase one more time.” Cosette sighed. “Who here is a single  _ dude _ , interested in girls, and would date me?”

 

“Um…” Grantaire frowned. “No one comes to mind.”

 

“How many straight people are here?”

 

“Are you straight?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh. Then two. It’s a new record!” Grantaire grinned. “Oh! Wait! Marius!”

 

“Hm?” Cosette said. “Who?”

 

“Marius! The only straight guy here,” Grantaire said. “He meets all of your criteria; single, likes girls, would date you, is a dude.”

 

“Oh, awesome!” Cosette said. 

 

“Of course if your criteria also includes not being a complete tool then he does  _ not  _ fit all of your criteria,” Grantaire said. 

 

“Oh?” Cosette raised her eyebrows.

 

“He’s alright.” Grantaire shrugged. “He’s nice, okay? He’s just — you know what? Why don’t you just go talk to him and see for yourself.”

 

“Which one is he?” Cosette asked. 

 

Grantaire pointed Marius out in the crowd. 

 

“Oh,” Cosette said with a smile. “ _ Oh.  _ He’s  _ adorable. _ ”

 

“Go talk to him then!” Grantaire said. “I’m such a matchmaker.  _ Just leave everything to me! _ ”

 

Cosette looked at him, confused. “I don’t understand that reference.”

 

Grantaire rolled his eyes. “Oh my god, get out!” He laughed. “Whatever, go,  _ go! _ ”

 

“Okay,” Cosette said. She got up from her seat. “It was really nice meeting you, we’ll have to be sure to talk again sometime.”

 

“Definitely.”

 

“Oh!” Cosette turned back to Grantaire right after she had turned away. “We totally got off topic before. So who  _ is  _ your boyfriend?”

 

“Oh, right!” Grantaire laughed. “I can’t believe you don’t know — I’m dating your  _ brother! _ ”

 

Cosette froze. “Excuse me,  _ what? _ ”

 

“I can’t believe he really didn’t tell you,” Grantaire laughed but then the smile disappeared from his face in an instant. “Shit, I probably wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

 

“Enjolras!” Cosette spun around and shouted at the top of her voice. 

 

“Yeah, that’s not going to work,” Grantaire said. “The meeting’s in full swing now, the only way you can get his attention now is by shouting something completely ridiculous for him to fight about.”

 

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Cosette said, one eyebrow quirked upward. 

 

Grantaire chuckled. “Oh, you have no idea. But how about for right now you go and chat up Marius and you can fight your brother when you get home.”

 

“I thought you said he was a tool,” Cosette said, hands stuck on her hips. “Why are you so eager for me to go and chat him up?”

 

“Because he’s lonely and you’re lonely and it’s pathetic and anyway I’m the designated matchmaker here,” Grantaire said and he shrugged. 

 

“Who ever said that I’m lonely?” Cosette scoffed. 

 

Grantaire chuckled. “Anyone who comes over and asks to sit with  _ me  _ is clearly a very lonely soul.”

 

“Wow, self deprecating much?” Cosette raised her eyebrows. 

 

“It’s practically my middle name,” Grantaire laughed. 

 

Cosette chuckled. “See you around, Grantaire.” 

 

She made her way through the room and found her way to the boy that Grantaire had pointed out to her, the handsome young man called Marius. She tapped on his shoulder just as he was sipping his coffee and when his gaze fell on Cosette he choked and began to violently cough. 

 

“Oh my god!” Cosette exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to — are you okay?”

 

“F-fine,” he spluttered. “I’m — fine!”

 

“You sure about that?” Cosette asked disbelievingly. 

 

“Absolutely!” Marius coughed. “Um — hi!” He said and stuck his hand out to shake hers. “My — my name is Marius Pontmercy. And — and you are?”

 

“I’m Cosette.”

 

“C-Cosette? Like Enjolras’ sister Cosette?”

 

“The very same,” Cosette nodded with a smile.

 

“Oh, wow,” Marius breathed. 

 

“Something the matter?”

 

“No! Nothing! Sorry,” Marius sighed. “It’s just that Enjolras talks about you as if you’re — like — this embarrassing twelve year old little girl but you’re — you’re  _ stunning. _ ”

 

Cosette blushed and grinned at her feet. 

 

“Oh, I said that out loud didn’t I!” Marius slapped his forehead. “Dear god, I’m doing everything all wrong!”

 

“No, no,” Cosette assured him quickly and a girlish giggle that was entirely unlike her escaped her. “You’re not doing anything wrong at all. You’re doing very well actually.”

 

“Really?” Marius asked, seemingly unconvinced, and when Cosette nodded he sighed in relief. “Oh, good. Hey, um, don’t take this the wrong way but… why did you come over to talk to  _ me  _ of all people?”

 

“Grantaire told me to,” Cosette explained. 

 

“Oh.” Marius smiled. “So Grantaire the Matchmaker is at it again.” 

 

“That’s what he seems to think,” Cosette said. 

 

“Well,” Marius said, but he was unsure of what to say next, not wanting to say the wrong thing and screw everything up. 

 

“Well,” Cosette repeated with a big smile, “we wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”

 

Marius matched her smile. “No, we wouldn’t.”

 

“How about we get some drinks and find a quiet corner?” Cosette suggested. 

 

“Sounds amazing,” Marius agreed. 

 

***

 

Cosette was sitting in the library beside Enjolras the following day during free period. She had her nose in her chemistry textbook but her mind was elsewhere; her mind was on Marius, whose number was saved in her phone; her mind was on Grantaire and what he had said before she went home the night before. 

 

Cosette had caught Enjolras giving Grantaire a goodnight kiss after the meeting was over. She’d kept her distance, determined to call him out on the whole matter when they arrived home together, but just as she watched Enjolras walk away and she was heading toward the car Grantaire came up to her and stopped her. 

 

“Don’t fight him tonight, okay?” he said. “Please.”

 

Cosette frowned. “He lied to me.”

 

“No, he just didn’t tell you,” Grantaire said. “ _ Please.  _ He’s in a really great mood right now and that’s not an everyday occurrence. Just — just hold off on it for now, okay?”

 

So now Cosette was determined to keep her nose in her book and she definitely  _ was not  _ watching Enjolras as he texted someone with a little smile playing at his lips out of the corner of her eye.

 

She really wanted to know about Enjolras and Grantaire, though. She  _ liked  _ Grantaire and her brother deserved the best and —

 

Oh, but she shouldn’t. 

 

“Who are you texting?” she asked him anyway. 

 

“Dad,” Enjolras said shortly. 

 

Cosette frowned, unconvinced. “You sure?”

 

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be sure who I’m texting?”

 

“I don’t know. Why are you texting Dad?”

 

“I’m letting him know that I’m going stay at a friend’s house tonight since tomorrow is a professional development day,” Enjolras told her. 

 

“Oh? Which friend?” Cosette propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, looking at her brother expectantly. 

 

“Combeferre,” Enjolras said then looked up from his phone with a frown. “Why do you ask?”

 

“No reason,” Cosette said and she tried to stop herself, she  _ really  _ did, but she was just such a passive aggressive kind of person. “I was just thinking it might be that Grantaire. I met him last night. Nice guy. You should hang out with  _ him  _ more often.”

 

“I — I mean — um — Grantaire and I never really see each other outside of — well —”

 

“Well, got to get to class,” Cosette said, gathering her things and getting to her feet. “Bye. Hope you have fun at  _ Combeferre’s  _ house.”

 

As she stalked away from her brother she would have liked to say that she regretted her actions, but she absolutely did not. She made a point of living her life unashamed.

 

***

 

Enjolras drove up and parked alongside the curb then into Grantaire’s house he went without knocking, bag slung over his shoulder. He raced up the stairs, into Grantaire’s room, and cried, “ _ What did you tell my sister?! _ ”

 

“Shit, she told on me?!” Grantaire huffed. 

 

“What, are you five?” Enjolras scowled. “ _ Why  _ would you tell her?!”

 

“You never said I shouldn’t!” Grantaire defended. “I didn’t even know that she didn’t know!”   
  
“You knew I didn’t want you to meet my family!” Enjolras shot back at him. “Didn’t you think there was probably a reason for that?!” 

 

Grantaire sighed heavily. “I — I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

 

Enjolras tossed his bag down onto the floor. “ _ That  _ is obvious,” he snapped. 

 

“She talked to me, asked me who I was dating, I didn’t think much of it until she flipped the fuck out.” Grantaire frowned. 

 

“What if she slips and tells my dad?” Enjolras frowned too and he sunk down onto the bed beside Grantaire.

 

“I doubt she will,” Grantaire said. “You came out to her and that went smoothly, and she never slipped and mentioned that to him, and this isn’t far off from that. She’s not going to tell your dad.”

 

Enjolras only groaned in frustration. 

 

“In all honesty, your dad has probably already figured out that you’re gay all on his own.” Grantaire shrugged. 

 

“How do you figure he’d have done that?” Enjolras frowned. 

 

Grantaire laughed. “My love, you may be in the closet but you’re not doing the greatest job of hiding in there.”

 

“I am!” Enjolras exclaimed. 

 

“Your life is a game of hide-and-go-seek and you are losing,” Grantaire said. “You think you’re in the closet but the door is open and you’re just standing there and everyone can see you.”

 

Enjolras grabbed a pillow and smacked the side of Grantaire’s head. “You’re horrible!”

 

“I’m not!”

 

“You are! Completely awful!”

 

“I am amazing!”

 

“You’re a terror!” Enjolras said but he was grinning. 

 

Grantaire swiftly climbed on top of him and pinned him against the bed. “And you love every minute of it.”

 

“Hm, do I?” Enjolras quirked one eyebrow upward. 

 

“Yes, you do,” Grantaire said. 

 

“Mmm,” Enjolras made a playful, high pitched noise as if he was unsure of what Grantaire was saying. “I don’t know about that.”

 

“Are you  _ teasing me,  _ Enjolras?” Grantaire dragged the tip of his nose across his boyfriend’s cheek. “You know what happens when you tease, Enjolras.”

 

“I do,” Enjolras agreed. “That’s why I do it.”

 

Grantaire chuckled lowly. “ _ God,  _ you’re gorgeous.”

 

“When’s your dad going to be home?” Enjolras asked breathlessly when Grantaire’s hands found their way into Enjolras’ pants. 

 

“I don’t know,” Grantaire huffed. “Two? Three? Whenever he decides to crawl out of whatever pub he spends tonight in.”

 

“ _ Good, _ ” Enjolras hissed.

 

“Yes, his alcoholism  _ does  _ come in handy from time to time, does it not?” Grantaire joked. 

 

“Babe —”

 

“Don’t,” Grantaire said, eyes squeezed shut and shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have said that, sorry, just — just let me take your pants off, yeah?”

 

“Yeah.” Enjolras nodded. “ _ God,  _ yeah.”

 

Grantaire peeled Enjolras’ jeans off of him and tossed them to the floor and the blond’s shirt quickly followed. 

 

“Why should I be naked without you?” Enjolras asked. He reached up and tore Grantaire’s beanie off his head, throwing it away to join his shirt and trousers.

 

“You’re not naked,” Grantaire pointed out. “You’ve still got your pants on.”

 

“Close enough.” Enjolras rolled his eyes. “Take your jeans off.”

 

“Your wish —” Grantaire leaned in and kissed Enjolras full on the mouth, “ — is my command.” He rolled off the bed and onto his feet and started unbuttoning his own jeans. 

 

“Are you going to give me a strip tease, ‘Taire?” 

 

Grantaire grinned. “Not this time. I’m too impatient. Maybe some other time, though.”

 

“I’m going to hold you to that, you know.”

 

“I know you will.” Grantaire smiled. “That’s why I said it.”

 

Enjolras beckoned Grantaire to the bed with just one finger. “Come here already, won’t you?” he said and Grantaire did. He crawled on top of Enjolras and straddled his hips with a devilish grin.

 

“You’re cute, you know that?” Grantaire’s grin softened to a smile and a glint in his eyes that told Enjolras how in awe he still was that he got to do this, hold Enjolras and tell him his was beautiful. 

 

“You’ve mentioned it once or twice, yes. But  _ you _ are so gorgeous,” Enjolras said and he reveled in the way that his words turned Grantaire’s cheeks a deep shade of pink. He reached up and dragged Grantaire down into a deep kiss. 

 

***

 

When Enjolras got home the next morning he headed directly for Cosette’s room. He knocked on the door and waited patiently until finally his sister pulled it open.

 

“Hello.” She smiled. “How was  _ Combef _ —”

 

“I was at Grantaire’s,” Enjolras said. 

 

Cosette gasped over dramatically. “Oh my  _ god!  _ Were you  _ really?!  _ I had no idea!”

 

“Okay I get the point, thanks!” Enjolras huffed. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, okay? But you don’t have to be a bitch about it. You know how I am about this stuff.”

 

“I  _ do  _ have to be a bitch about it,” Cosette said, “because I’m a bitch.”

 

“ _ Cosette, _ ” Enjolras huffed. “Look, I’m sorry that you’re angry at me but you’ve to try and understand that —”

 

“Oh, no, you haven’t angered me,” Cosette said with a small shrug. “I’m just really disappointed in you.”

 

Enjolras scoffed. “Did you fucking just —”

 

Cosette laughed then. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door jam. “Listen, it’s not that big of a deal, okay? I’m just trying to understand why you didn’t tell me. We tell each other  _ everything.  _ I was the first person you came out to, you were the first person I told about my first crush, I was the first person you told about  _ your  _ first crush. Jesus, Enj, you were the one I went to when I had my first  _ period. _ ”

 

“I  _ know, _ ” Enjolras sighed. “And I’m  _ sorry.  _ Look, the whole gay thing is still kind of hard for me. It might not seem like it but it’s only you and the people of that group of mine who know that I’m gay. I told you that I’m gay because I trust you — I trust you  _ so much,  _ Cosette — but having a boyfriend was this new level of — of — it was like this new level of being gay, I guess? If that makes any sense? I don’t know, I just had such mixed feelings about Grantaire for so long and I wanted to keep all of that confusion out of this house. As far away from Dad as I could keep it.”

 

Cosette stared at him for a long time before she finally stepped toward him and pulled him into a tight hug. “I love you so much. This is going to sound really cheesy, but you’re the best brother anyone could ever hope to have.”

 

“So you forgive me?” Enjolras asked. 

 

“Yes, of  _ course  _ I forgive you.” Cosette grinned. 

 

“I’ve only been dating him for a couple months,” Enjolras said. “I swear this isn’t something I’ve been keeping from you for, like, two years or some shit.”

 

“Good,” Cosette said. “So now that you’ve apologized and I don’t have to be petty anymore… Guess what!”

 

“What?” Enjolras grinned. 

 

“I’m going on a  _ date! _ ” Cosette exclaimed excitedly. 

 

“That’s great!” Enjolras cried. “With who?!”

 

“Marius Pontmercy!” Cosette told him. 

 

“What?” Enjolras’ face fell. 

 

“Yeah, I met him at the meeting on Wednesday!” Cosette didn’t notice that her brother was frowning at her now. “We got to talking and — I don’t even know, really! We just sort of  _ clicked! _ ” 

 

“You can’t do that.”

 

Cosette stuck her hands on her hips. “Excuse me? Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?”

 

“You can’t go out with Marius.” Enjolras shook his head. “Please. Just — just don’t do it.”

 

“And why  _ not? _ ” 

 

“Listen, I’m not saying that his heart isn’t in the right place,” Enjolras sighed, “but he’s kind of a tool.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what Grantaire said,” Cosette said. “But then, of course, he set me up with Marius, so…”

 

“He set you up with Marius?” Enjolras narrowed his eyes. 

 

“Yeah.” Cosette nodded.

 

“Fuck him,” Enjolras huffed. 

 

“Do you?’

 

“What?”

 

“Do you fuck him?” Cosette asked. “Or does he —”

 

“Shut up!” Enjolras shouted, face going a deep shade of red. 

 

Cosette crossed her arms. “Enjolras, I’m going on a date with Marius whether you like it or not,” she said firmly. “ _ I  _ like him and I can form opinions for myself,  _ thank you _ very much.” Then she turned on her heel, sleek hair flying over her shoulder as she whipped around, and she snapped the door shut in Enjolras’ face. 

 

***

 

Enjolras thought that at least his sister would  _ surely  _ realize what a fool Marius was, but in the weeks that followed Cosette began coming to meetings just to hang out with Marius and she was with him every weekend. The day that Enjolras looked down at Cosette’s phone as a text came in from Marius and he saw that there was a red heart emoji beside his name, he lost it and called Grantaire just to yell at him for introducing them. 

 

“It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be,” Grantaire said after Enjolras had finally stopped screaming. “Marius is your friend.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s dumb,” Enjolras snapped. 

 

“He’s a respectful guy,” Grantaire said. “He’s not going to take advantage of her.”

 

“I’m not worried about him taking advantage of her, I know she can take care of herself,” Enjolras sighed. “I’m just worried about him because he  _ sucks. _ ”

 

“You want to know what I think?” Grantaire asked.

 

“Not particularly,” Enjolras said bitterly.

 

“I think this is more about Cosette than it is about Marius,” Grantaire told him anyway. 

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Enjolras asked.    
  


“It means that it could be absolutely any guy and you’d be reacting like this, saying these things,” Grantaire said. “Because this is  _ Cosette,  _ your sister who you love very much and care about very much and even though you know she can handle herself just fine you also have this need to protect her.”

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Enjolras huffed. “I don’t have a need to protect her!”

 

“Oh, god, yes you do,” Grantaire said and Enjolras could practically  _ hear  _ him rolling his eyes. “Just like she has a need to protect you. That’s why the day you went home a few weeks ago and admitted to her that you’re dating me she called me and told me that if I ever did anything to hurt you she would, respectfully, make sure no one ever finds my body.”

 

Enjolras couldn’t help but snort before he asked, “Did she really?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“ _ Respectfully, _ ” Enjolras laughed. “She told you that,  _ respectfully,  _ she would murder you.”

 

“Yep.”

 

Enjolras sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”

 

“It happens more often than you’d think it does,” Grantaire said and Enjolras chuckled. 

 

“I love you,” Enjolras said and he didn’t need to see Grantaire to know that he was smiling when he softly replied, “I love you too.”

 

***

 

Winter was soon upon them and Enjolras, instead of being constantly bothered by the fact that his sister was dating Marius, was constantly bothered by how many student meeting he was having to reschedule because of all the snow that they were getting in Paris. As long as the Musain Cafe was open, of course, meetings were on. That didn’t mean that everyone would trek through the snow to make it but you can be sure that Enjolras was always there, Grantaire eternally at his side. 

 

One particularly blustery evening found Enjolras, Cosette, and Grantaire sat in the Musain with the information for a protest that was coming up in the beginning of February spread out on the table in front of them.

 

“Enjolras, no one is coming,” Cosette huffed. 

 

“Grantaire is here,” Enjolras shot back. 

 

“That doesn’t count,” Cosette said. 

 

“Um — thank you?” Grantaire furrowed his brow. 

 

“You know what I mean,” Cosette sighed. “You’ll go wherever Enjolras goes, no matter what. It could be a freaking flood out there, but as long as Enjolras is here then so are you.”

 

“That —” Grantaire pointed a finger at her, “— is accurate.”

 

“Someone might show up,” Enjolras said. “We’ve got to stay. What if someone gets here, ready to try and make the world a better place, and we’re just not here?”

 

“Jesus Christ,” Cosette sighed dramatically. 

 

“Then they’ll get over it and come next week, sweetie.” Grantaire laid a hand gently on Enjolras’ shoulder.

 

“But —”

 

“Enjolras, for fuck’s sake!” Musichetta groaned, leaning on the counter. “No one is going to show up! Now can you  _ please  _ just leave so I can close the cafe? The snow is getting really bad.”

 

Enjolras huffed. “ _ Fine. _ ”

 

“Wonderful!” Grantaire grinned. “School’s also been cancelled for tomorrow. Will you come stay at my house for the night?”

 

Enjolras smiled, despite the fact that he was being forced to pack up his plans for the protest hours before he usually would. “Nothing would make me happier,” he said and allowed his fingers to be intertwined with Grantaire’s.   
  


“Excellent,” Grantaire said.

 

“Make sure you text Dad,” Cosette reminded him. 

 

Enjolras nodded. “I will when I get back to the house. I have to grab some clothes anyway. I’ll tell him I’m staying at Combeferre’s.”

 

“You always say Combeferre’s,” Grantaire said. “Maybe switch it up a bit, say it’s Courfeyrac. He’s going to start to think you hate all of your other friends.”

 

“Grantaire’s right,” Cosette said and nodded. 

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Enjolras said. “Right, let’s go.”

 

As the three of them approached the door, it swung open and someone entered. Enjolras was about to snap something along the lines of “I told you so” but upon further examination he saw that it was Marius who was standing in the doorway, covered in snow. 

 

“Hey!” Cosette smiled and wrapped her arms around him. 

 

“Hi!” Marius grinned and kissed her. “You’re leaving?”

 

Enjolras opened his mouth to speak but Grantaire, fearing what might come out, interrupted and said, “Yes, we figure no one’s really going to show up. I’ll shoot a text to the group chat when we get home, though.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Marius nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow?” he said to Cosette.

 

“No, they just cancelled it a little while ago,” Cosette said. 

 

“Oh,” Marius said. “Well — uh — do you want to come stay over my house tonight?”

 

“I don’t think that’s such a —” Enjolras began but Grantaire clamped a hand over his boyfriend’s mouth when Cosette shot a fiery glare in their direction.

 

“I’d love to!” Cosette smiled.

 

“Awesome,” Marius said. “So, uh, shall we?”

 

“Let’s!”

 

“Enj —”

 

“Don’t,” Enjolras snapped at Grantaire. “Let’s — let’s just go.”

 

***

 

Enjolras had his legs wrapped around Grantaire’s waist and Grantaire’s hands were tugging at Enjolras’ blond curls. Grantaire licked into his boyfriend’s mouth and reached for the buttons of his shirt, but Enjolras pulled away suddenly. 

 

“They could be doing it,” he said in horror. 

 

“Excuse me?” Grantaire sighed. 

 

“Right now, they could be having  _ sex, _ ” Enjolras said. 

 

“And what do you think we’re doing right now?” Grantaire asked. 

 

“We’re making out,” Enjolras said. “Oh my god! What if Marius is having sex with my sister right now?! I’ll kill him!”

 

Grantaire sighed. “No one knows how to kill the mood quite like you do, Enj.”

 

“Maybe we should drive over there and —”

 

“First of all, no.” Grantaire gripped Enjolras’ shoulders tightly and looked him dead in the eyes. “Second of all, the roads are closed now. And third,  _ no. _ ”

 

“Okay, okay,” Enjolras sighed. 

 

“I guess now you know how Cosette must feel.”

 

“Come again?”

 

“Well, I’m just saying, the thought of us having sex has probably crossed her mind at some time or other,” Grantaire said and he shrugged, “and when it did she probably felt something along the lines of  _ this. _ ” He gestured to Enjolras as a whole. 

 

“Whatever,” Enjolras said. He rolled off of Grantaire and flopped down beside him. 

 

“Hey,” Grantaire said. He laid down on his side and brushed Enjolras’ hair out of his face. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Everything will be alright. Cosette is a smart girl, she’ll make smart decisions. We’re together, and we will be until the storm lets up. Everything is grand.”

 

Enjolras smiled. “What did I do to deserve you?” 

 

“The real question is what  _ I  _ did to deserve  _ you, _ ” Grantaire chuckled, tracing over Enjolras’ lips. “I ask myself that everyday.”

 

“Can we sleep?” Enjolras asked softly. 

 

“Of course,” Grantaire said. He got up and crossed the room, flicked the light switch off, then went back and crawled into bed with Enjolras. “Get under the covers.”

 

“I know, I’m coming,” Enjolras said as he maneuvered himself so that he could get beneath the blankets without standing up. “Calm your shit.”

 

“Be easy, Enjolras.” Grantaire pulled his boyfriend close to him and held him in a tight embrace. “Sleep well.”

 

“Goodnight, Grantaire,” Enjolras said and he tucked his face into the crook of Grantaire’s neck.

 

***

 

“It’s so cold,” Cosette said, shivering. 

 

“Yeah, sorry, the heating in my house isn’t the best,” Marius said. 

 

“So where are your parents?” Cosette asked.

 

Marius led her into the kitchen. “Oh, they’re actually in Barbados this week.”

 

“Oh, that’s nice.”

 

“Warm.”

 

“Yes, exactly what I was thinking. It’s  _ warm  _ in Barbados,” Cosette laughed. 

 

“Popcorn?” Marius suggested. 

 

“And hot chocolate?” Cosette grinned. 

 

“Obviously,” Marius laughed. He put the bag of popcorn in the microwave and a pot of milk on the stove. “We should watch a movie, too.”

 

“Ooh, yes!” Cosette agreed. “Which one?”

 

“I don’t know, we can look through the collection in the living room in a bit,” Marius said. 

 

Once they had their popcorn and their hot chocolate set and ready to go, they moved into the living room with fluffy blankets and flopped down on the sofa. They made their way through the tens of tens of DVDs that Marius’ parents had collected until they finally decided on Beauty and the Beast.

 

“At least we haven’t lost power,” Cosette said and she cuddled up to Marius’ side. Her phone buzzed against her legs as the movie was beginning and she pulled it out.

 

“Who is it?” Marius asked. 

 

“Eponine,” Cosette said. “I was just letting her know that I told my dad I’m staying at her house tonight, just in case he texts her to confirm. He hasn’t done that in a while but he used to do it when I was in middle school. Better safe than sorry.”

 

Marius nodded in understanding. He wrapped one arm around her to pull her a bit closer. 

 

Cosette sipped her hot chocolate then laid her head down on Marius’ shoulder.

 

“Hey, Cosette?”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“You’re happy, right?”

 

Cosette lifted her head off of Marius’ shoulder so that she could look up at him with a small frown. “What do you mean?”

 

“Like, this whole thing —  _ us  _ — you’re happy with it, right?” Marius asked. 

 

“Are you?” Cosette raised her eyebrows. 

 

“Yes!  _ God,  _ yes! Of course!” Marius said quickly. He set his hot chocolate down and rubbed one hand over his face. “ _ Shit,  _ Cosette, that’s not what I meant — I’m sorry — yes, yes, I am so happy! I just mean — I just mean that —” 

 

Cosette waited patiently for him to sort out his thoughts inside his head. 

 

“I just want to know if  _ you  _ are happy?” Marius said. “Because sometimes I think — like — maybe this isn’t what you want in a relationship. I think that maybe it’s not enough — that maybe — that maybe —”

 

“That maybe,” Cosette cut in gently, “ _ you  _ are not enough?”

 

Marius avoided her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, something along those lines.”

 

“Oh, Marius,” Cosette sighed. She set down her own hot chocolate and reached to hold her boyfriend’s face in her hands so that he had to look into her eyes. “You aren’t just enough, you’re more than enough. You’re sweet, you’re kind and caring.”

 

“I know what people say about me when I’m not around,” Marius said in a small voice. 

 

Cosette wanted to cry. She wanted to trek through the wind and snow just to go to Grantaire’s house and punch Enjolras in the face. 

 

Instead, she kissed Marius’ nose, then the center of his forehead. “I don’t care what other people say, I don’t care what other people think. I care what I think and that’s it.”

 

“And what is it that you think?”

 

Cosette smiled and pulled him toward her, connected their lips in a deep kiss. “Does that answer your question?” she asked. 

 

Marius grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah.”

 

***

 

Life went on. Enjolras and Grantaire were happy and, much to Enjolras’ dismay, so were Cosette and Marius. Jean Valjean was still none the wiser that his children had boyfriends behind his back.

 

Eponine was entirely invested in these relationships her friends were in. “It’s just so romantic,” she told Cosette one day early in March when they were sat on the sofa. “It’s like you’re star crossed lovers or something!” 

 

“I mean, we aren’t quite star crossed lovers,” Cosette laughed. “But it’s nice. It’s sweet. You know what I mean?”

 

Enjolras strolled in, heading for the staircase, with his nose in a book and his thumb tapping out a text message.

 

Eponine giggled. “Yeah… And have you…? You know…?” 

 

Cosette giggled too. “ _ Yeah  _ we have.”

 

Enjolras, who had looked as if he’d been too invested in his book and phone to hear anything that the girls were talking about, looked up suddenly with eyes wide. “ _ What?! _ ”

 

“None of your business, E.” Cosette rolled her eyes. 

 

“It is my business!” Enjolras said. 

 

“No it’s not!”

 

“You’re my little sister!”

 

“Eleven minutes!”

 

“I’m supposed to protect you!”

 

“Okay, guys, calm down a little bit, yeah?” Eponine said.

 

“So you and Grantaire don’t have sex?” Cosette jumped to her feet. She stuck her hands on her hips and glared. “That’s what you’re trying to tell me?” 

 

“Well —”

 

“Exactly!  _ Well  _ nothing!” Cosette exclaimed. 

 

“But why him?!” Enjolras huffed. “Why my friend? Why my  _ idiot  _ friend?!”

 

“He’s not an idiot!” Cosette snapped.

 

“Um, guys?” Eponine said, frowning at the window. 

 

“Of all the people you could go and have sex with —”

 

“Excuse me?!” 

 

Enjolras and Cosette whipped around to stare at their father, who was standing in the front doorway, with wide eyes and mouths agape. They stammered and struggled to find something to say. 

 

“Cosette,” Valjean said as he closed the door behind himself. “You are seventeen. You are too young to be having — to be — you know!”

 

“Daddy, I —” Cosette began but she hadn’t planned her sentence out any further than that, so instead she just glared at Enjolras for getting her into this mess. 

 

“I cannot believe you would go behind my back and —” 

 

“Enjolras put together a student organization to go to protests and things like that!” Cosette interrupted and she pointed an accusing finger at her brother who scoffed. 

 

“What?!” Valjean turned his attention over to Enjolras. “What possessed you to do that? That is  _ very dangerous!  _ I know how you feel about the politics in our country but I have told you, time after time, that you can’t go to these rallies where you could easily get yourself killed!”

 

“Cosette has been dating a boy  _ behind your back! _ ” was Enjolras’ response. 

 

Valjean’s eyes were wider than should have been humanly possible and Cosette was a deep, dark shade of angry red. 

 

“Enjolras has a boyfriend too!” Cosette screamed and her hands immediately flew to her mouth. 

 

Eponine looked up quickly and Enjolras froze. Valjean opened his mouth to shout but then closed it in puzzlement. “Wait a second,” he said slowly, “you mean girlfriend?”

 

“I — um — yeah, of course — I meant to say girlfriend,  _ obviously _ —” Cosette said quickly, unconvincingly. 

 

“Enjolras?” Valjean raised his eyebrows. 

 

“I just — I think I should — um — I think I should go now.” Enjolras’ voice was tight and hoarse and he was blinking back tears. 

 

“Enjolras —”

 

“Son —”

 

He shook his head and strode past his dad and his sister and hurried up the stairs to his bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind himself and in a second his face was buried in his hands. 

 

Enjolras was not a young man who took notice of the fact that he hardly ever cried. He held no shame in the matter. He didn’t suffer from issues with fragile masculinity, what with everything he was fighting for society to be. He just did not cry often, plain and simple. 

 

He was crying now, uncontrollably. 

 

He could hear footsteps too, coming up the stairs, so he lunged for his door and collapsed to the ground. He locked the door and turned around, back against the door. He hugged his knees to his chest and laid his head down on his knees. 

 

Eventually, he was going to have to leave his room, he knew. Eventually he was going to have to wipe his tears away and go face his father and his sister. He didn’t know if he could do that. He didn’t know if he was strong enough and he didn’t know he’d ever be able to stop crying and he didn’t know if —

 

There came a tapping on his bedroom window and Enjolras looked up to find that, on a branch that hung just below his bedroom window, Grantaire was balanced.

 

Enjolras, sniffling and wiping his nose on his sleeve, got to his feet and padded across his room. He pushed the window open, Grantaire reached for his arms, and Enjolras helped him through. 

 

Grantaire shut the window behind himself before he pulled Enjolras into a tight hug. 

 

“How’d you know to —” 

 

“Cosette texted me.”

 

“She’s the one who told him,” Enjolras hissed. “She just — she just forced me out of the closet and she just —”

 

“She told me everything,” Grantaire said. “It was an accident and you still have a right to be angry, but she didn’t do it on purpose.”

 

“He thought she made a mistake,” Enjolras said and his voice shook. “He thought she  _ misspoke.  _ And the way he looked at me when he was asking — all he was asking was if I was gay but that look on his face, the way he said my name…”

 

“I know, I know, baby,” Grantaire said. He pulled Enjolras toward the bed. “Come on, lay down.”

 

“What if he doesn’t love me anymore?” Enjolras sobbed. 

 

“Shh, stop it. He’s your father and he’s going to love you forever no matter what.” Grantaire pulled back the covers and got into the bed. “Come here.” He held out a hand and Enjolras took it and crawled into the bed beside him. 

 

“Hold me,” Enjolras said desperately. 

 

“I will,” Grantaire said. “Come on, I’ve got you.” He wrapped his arms around Enjolras, pulled him close to his own body. “Your dad loves you, Enjolras. No matter what.”

 

“You don’t know that,” Enjolras said. “You don’t know him. You’ve never met him.”

 

“Maybe I can now,” Grantaire said. “I’ve heard all of the stories that you have to tell about him. You’re such an incredible storyteller, too, so I feel as if I do know him. You’re going to get through this and I’m going to be at your side through it all, no matter what.”

 

Enjolras laid his head down on Grantaire’s chest. “Let’s just run away.”

 

“As much as I’d love to ditch this city and its stinking people to run off and make a life with you,” Grantaire sighed, “that’s not you, Enjolras. You don’t run away from your problems, and you’ve taught me to do the same. You make me a better person.”

 

Enjolras hummed and closed his eyes. He thought that maybe he could just fall asleep in Grantaire’s warm embrace and let all of his troubles melt away, but then someone was knocking on his door. 

 

“Enjolras? Please let me in, I need to talk to you,” Cosette said desperately. 

 

“Fuck off,” Enjolras said, and though his face was buried against Grantaire and his voice was muffled, Cosette heard him just barely and was shocked into silence. 

 

“Hey, easy there,” Grantaire said. He carefully got out from under his boyfriend and crossed the room, opened the door, and ushered for Cosette to come in quickly. Eponine followed closely at her heel and Grantaire snapped the door shut behind them both. 

 

“Enjolras, please talk to me,” Cosette practically begged. 

 

However, Enjolras did quite the opposite. He pulled the blankets over his head and hid from his sister. 

 

“What’s your dad saying?” Grantaire asked Cosette.

 

Cosette didn’t answer so Eponine replied instead, “He wants to meet their boyfriends.”

 

“Come again?” Grantaire frowned. 

 

“You and Marius, he says he’s going to meet you,” Eponine sighed. “He’s inviting both of you over for dinner on Saturday.”

 

Enjolras threw the blankets off of himself and sat up. “You’re just messing with me, right?”

 

Cosette opened her mouth to comment on Enjolras’ red, puffy eyes but quickly shut it when he glared at her.

 

“Wait, okay,” Grantaire said. “So you’re telling me that I have to sit through a really awkward dinner with Mr. Valjean and I  _ also  _ have to see  _ Marius?  _ I honestly don’t know how this could be any worse?”

 

“Grantaire, I swear to god,” Cosette huffed. 

 

“Not the time,” Enjolras said. 

 

Grantaire sighed. “Jeez. Tough crowd. I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”

 

“Don’t.” Eponine shook her head. 

 

“This is a disaster.” Enjolras buried his face in his hands. 

 

Grantaire climbed back onto the bed and wrapped an arm around him. “It’s okay. I’m here. Every step of the way.”

 

Enjolras didn’t know what to say anymore. No one did. So Enjolras laid his head down on Grantaire’s shoulder, and Cosette and Eponine looked to one another, each of them unsure of what to do next. 

 

***

 

“Enjolras, you haven’t spoken to me in days,” Cosette whined. 

 

Enjolras kept his head down. He had immersed himself into his book, determined to make it through these last few hours of not being able to spend time with Grantaire without having a meltdown. 

 

Valjean hadn’t let Enjolras or Cosette out of the house, except to go to school, since Tuesday when he had found out about Cosette’s sexual endeavour and Enjolras’ student organization and both of their boyfriends. That meant that, for the first time ever, Enjolras had not shown up to the Wednesday meeting at the Musain. 

 

Grantaire had gone to the meeting to explain what was going on with Enjolras, and Combeferre had dutifully taken over the meeting in his friend’s place. Despite how they all complained about Enjolras’ tendency to deliver his speeches in a fiery but over dramatic fashion, as well as his inability to shut up, they all had to admit that the meeting just wasn’t the same without him. That was not to say that Combeferre did a bad job of leading the meeting, but they all missed Enjolras’ special kind of passion.

 

Grantaire did not dare to sneak in through the window again, though Enjolras wished he would. Passing him in the halls at school and texting him at night was not enough for Enjolras. 

 

“Enjolras,  _ please, _ ” Cosette pleaded with her brother. 

 

To her great surprise, Enjolras looked up. “This is your fault,” was all he said before he looked back down at his book. 

 

“That’s not true,” Cosette scoffed. “You’re the reason Dad found out I had sex and —”

 

“I said that before he walked inside the house!” Enjolras looked at her with a dangerous look in his eyes. “You’re the one who retaliated first. You’re the one who told him, to his face, about the student organization.”

 

“You told him I had a boyfriend,” Cosette shot back. 

 

Enjolras narrowed his eyes. “ _ You forced me out of the closet. _ ”

 

Cosette didn’t know what to say to that.

 

Valjean entered the room then and both of his children looked to him expectantly. “Can you please set the table?”

 

Cosette and Enjolras nodded. Enjolras set down his book and the both of them hurried to their feet and out of the room. When they set six places at the table (Eponine was coming to dinner because she almost always ate dinner with the Valjean family — over the years, Jean Valjean had come to see Eponine as his third child), they did it in total silence. 

 

Cosette was just about to try and make conversation with her brother when the doorbell rang. Enjolras hurried out of the dining room and rushed toward the door. 

 

Valjean was already in the sitting room, ready to greet their first guest. Enjolras took a deep breath, and he exhaled. He hoped with all his might that it would be Marius standing on the doorstep and that Grantaire would not have to converse with Valjean on his own. 

 

Enjolras’ prayers were not answered. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he never prayed. 

 

However, to Enjolras’ shock, Grantaire had cleaned up well. He was still dressed, more or less, as he would be on any normal day. Grantaire was not in the business of pretending to be someone who he was not. But his jeans had no tears in them and his shirt was free of wrinkles, and he’d left the beanie behind and  _ for once  _ had brushed his hair. 

 

“Hi, Enjolras,” Grantaire greeted him with a smile and a hug that he couldn’t hold back after the four days they’d spent apart, but then he turned his attention wholly to Valjean. “Mr. Valjean, hello. Very nice to meet you. I’m Grantaire.”

 

“And you, Grantaire,” Valjean replied. He reached out and shook Grantaire’s hand. “I’m very happy to be meeting you. Enjolras, will you go back and help your sister, please?”

 

Enjolras shot Grantaire a worried look which his boyfriend responded to with a look of reassurance. Before Enjolras got the chance to return to Cosette in the dining room, the doorbell rang for a second time. 

 

Enjolras turned and opened the door. Marius and Eponine smiled back at him. 

 

“Wonderful,” Valjean said. “Everyone is here. Hi, I’m Enjolras and Cosette’s father.”

 

“Hi, I’m Marius.” He reached out to shake Valjean’s hand and Valjean took his hand. 

 

“If you would just step into the dining room?” Valjean gestured to the door he wanted the teenagers to go through. “I’ll be in there in a few minutes, I just have to finish up a couple more things in the kitchen for our supper.”

 

“Awesome,” Grantaire said with a grin and he and Eponine walked to the dining room side by side. Enjolras and Marius followed close behind them. 

 

“Oh, thank you so much for coming, Eponine,” Cosette said when they all entered the dining room. She rushed to throw her arms around her friend. “This dinner is going to be awkward enough with you here. If you weren’t coming — ugh, I can’t even bare to think of what might’ve gone down.”

 

“I’m a really great friend,” Eponine agreed. 

 

“I honestly think this night is going to go smoothly,” Marius admitted. “We’re off to a great start.”

 

“Are you kidding?” Grantaire said and Enjolras hadn’t noticed until now that, now that they were no longer in the company of Valjean, Grantaire was looking rather distressed. “I can already tell he hates me!”

 

“You’re joking, right?” Enjolras raised his eyebrows. 

 

“No!” Grantaire exclaimed. 

 

“Oh my god,” Enjolras sighed. “Honey, no. You made a fantastic first impression. If I’m being totally honest with you, it was a way better first impression than I expected you to make.” 

 

“He’s going to hate me no matter what,” Grantaire huffed. 

 

Enjolras stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. “You said you were sure he’d get over the whole gay thing.”

 

“Enj, that’s not what I meant,” Grantaire sighed. “It’s because I’m dating you, not because I’m a guy. He’s going to hate Marius too!”

 

“Um,” Marius said, “thank you?”

 

“Oh my god, this is such a mess,” Cosette groaned.

 

“Tell me about it,” Grantaire said. 

 

“Hey, don’t start talking like that now,” Enjolras complained. 

 

“It’s fine, okay?” Eponine said and she gave a firm look to each of her four friends in turn. “Everyone just calm your shit because everything is going to be fine. Unless it’s not. But everything is going to be fine.”

 

“Inspiring,” Grantaire commented dryly. 

 

Valjean burst through the door holding a tray in mittened hands. “Does everyone like garlic bread? I thought it’d make a nice appetizer — made it myself, from scratch!”

 

“Do you have your own recipe?” Grantaire asked interestedly. 

 

“It’s my sister’s, yes.” Valjean nodded and set the hot tray down in the middle of the dining table. “It’s the best garlic bread you’ll ever taste in your life!”

 

“Well, I can’t wait!” Grantaire grinned. 

 

“I’ll go fetch a knife to slice it up!” Valjean said excitedly and he raced to the kitchen to do just that.

 

“See?” Grantaire looked to Enjolras sadly. 

 

“What are you talking about?” Enjolras threw his hands in the air. 

 

“You’re turning the charm on and off like a light switch,” Cosette said. “It’s incredible. He’s going to love you.”

 

“He seems to be on edge,” Grantaire said. 

 

“He’s not,” Enjolras said. 

 

“You’d know if he was on edge,” Cosette said. “You wouldn’t like it if he was on edge.”

 

“Though, I don’t know why he isn’t on edge,” Eponine said. 

 

“True,” Enjolras agreed. “It’s sort of unsettling.”

 

“You know what’s unsettling?” Marius said. “He’s going to come back in here  _ with a knife. _ ”

 

Cosette stuck her hands on her hips. “I thought you said this was all going to go over smoothly.”

 

“I changed my mind,” Marius said. “Grantaire’s right, he’s going to hate us both no matter what we do.”

 

Enjolras groaned miserably. He buried his face in his hands. “I would literally rather be anywhere but here.”

 

“I have a knife!” Valjean announced when he re-entered the room.

 

Marius looked just a bit more concerned than he should have. Cosette was beginning to think her boyfriend was legitimately worried that her father was going to stab him. 

 

“Grantaire, I hope you’re ready for some life changing bread!” Valjean said. 

 

“I am!” Grantaire clasped his hands together. “Lay it on me!”

 

“Okay,” Valjean said, nodding. He sliced the loaf of garlic bread evenly then turned to the teenagers standing about the dining room. “Dig in! I’ll be right back, I’ve got to go get the main course ready!”

 

Grantaire slapped his forehead. “Lay it on me! Lay — it — on — me! I said —  _ oh my god!  _ Who am I?”

 

“It’s okay, it worked.” Enjolras patted his shoulder. “Try the garlic bread.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Grantaire said. 

 

“I’ve still only spoken to him, like, once,” Marius said with a frown. 

 

Cosette frowned back at him. “Well, then, maybe you should  _ speak  _ to him.”

 

“This garlic bread is amazing!” Grantaire shouted and he grabbed another slice. 

 

“What if I just climb out the window?” Marius suggested. 

 

“Don’t you dare,” Cosette snapped. “If I have to suffer then so do you.”

 

“Come with me,” Marius said and he grabbed onto her shoulders. “We can run away together! Start a life together — on the run!”

 

“Shut up and eat some garlic bread,” Cosette snapped. 

 

“Alright, everyone, have a seat!” Valjean entered the room with a large pot which he set down in the middle of the table with the garlic bread. “We’ve got mashed potatoes and I’ll be right back with the chicken!” He hurried back out of the room once more.

 

“Okay, time for the main event,” Eponine said as they all began to take their seats at the table. She said opposite the head of the table. “Everyone just stay calm and nothing bad will happen. He’s in a good mood, okay? That’s a good thing.”

 

“He hasn’t started asking questions yet,” Enjolras said. 

 

Grantaire took the seat to the right of the head of the table.

 

“You’re going to sit next to my dad?” Enjolras asked, eyebrows raised, and he sat down at Grantaire’s side. 

 

“Yes.” Grantaire nodded. “I don’t want him to think I’m scared.”

 

Cosette raised her eyebrows too. “But,” she said, “you are.”

 

“Yeah, but I don’t need him to know that,” Grantaire said. 

 

“Marius,” Cosette said, “sit across from Grantaire.”

 

“What?” Marius said. “Next to your dad? Oh, no. Oh, no no no no no. I’m not brave like that, like Grantaire is. No, thank you, I’ll be sitting next to Eponine.”

 

“Sit down,” Cosette snapped and she dropped herself into the seat to Eponine’s right.

 

Marius tentatively sat down beside his girlfriend, frowning at the empty seat where Valjean would soon be sitting beside him. 

 

“We’ve got chicken marsala!” Valjean said when he entered the room once again. He set it down in the middle of the table with the garlic bread and the mashed potatoes and then, finally, sat down at the head of the table. He said quick prayer quietly to himself, then gestured to the food. “Please, eat.”

 

There was a murmur of thanks around the room and everyone began to fill their plates.

 

“So Marius,” Valjean said and Marius froze. “Where are you looking to go to university?”

 

“Oh, um, I’m actually looking to go to school in the United States,” Marius said. “I’d like to go to Harvard. I’m supposed to get my letter in another week or two, whether they accept or deny me.”

 

“Wow,” Valjean said. “That’s very impressive, Marius. You want to study law?”

 

“Yes, yes, I want to be a lawyer.” Marius nodded. 

 

“Very nice,” Valjean said. “What about you Grantaire? Where are you looking for universities?”

 

“Oh, I — um — I actually just got accepted to The Paris College of Art?” Grantaire said slowly. 

 

“Oh, you’re an artist,” Valjean said. 

 

“Yes, sir.” Grantaire nodded. 

 

“Hm,” was all Valjean had to say on the matter, apparently. 

 

“ _ Dad, _ ” Enjolras huffed. 

 

“What?” Valjean said. “It’s just not a very stable career, is all.”

 

“Grantaire is a very talented artist,” Enjolras said as he stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork. “And he can sing, too.”

 

“Ah,” Valjean said. “That’s very nice. I mean no offense. Like I said, it’s just not a very stable career like law is.”

 

Eponine leaned over to Enjolras. “He’s on edge now,” she hissed.

 

“Yep,” Enjolras agreed.

 

Cosette leaned in to look around Marius and down the table at her father. “Daddy, could you pass the salt?” 

 

“Oh, here you go, Cosette,” Marius said. He grabbed the salt from off the table and handed it to her. 

 

She took it slowly with an odd look on her face. 

 

When Marius looked back toward Valjean, the man’s eyes were narrowed. 

 

It took him a moment, but when Marius realized what he had just done he began to stammer and sweat and shake his head. “Oh, no! No! That’s not — it’s not — not like that! Oh my god! It’s just — sir, no — the salt was closer to me — it was right there — right in front of me — so I thought — I could just — oh my god!”

 

“I think a subject change is in order,” Eponine spoke up. 

 

“Yes, Eponine, I think it is.” Valjean glared down at his food. 

 

“Shit, now he’s really on edge,” Eponine hissed to Enjolras.

 

“No, now he’s pissed off,” Enjolras replied. 

 

“Grantaire,” said Valjean. 

 

Grantaire swallowed hard. “Yes, sir?” he responded nervously. 

 

“What kind of art do you do, exactly?” Valjean asked. 

 

“Oh,” Grantaire said. “Mostly portraits.”

 

“Really?” Valjean said, and he sounded intrigued now. “Who of?”

 

“Well, sometimes I’ll just go to the park or something and draw whoever I see,” Grantaire told. “But mostly I’ll draw my friends. Our friend Jehan, for instance, has this aura about him that’s just so exciting to capture so I have quite a lot of drawings of him. And then there’s our friend Courfeyrac — he never stops moving, see, so when I do get him to sit still long enough to draw him I have to make sure I capture how he’s just itching to move and that’s so cool, to see that come alive on my page, you know what I mean? Then there’s  _ Combeferre.  _ Combeferre, his presence is just so calming, always, so I have to make sure that the way I draw him is calming to look at. Even on paper, I need to make sure that his essence is there. And Enjolras —” Grantaire paused to look at him, to see that he was smiling, “— he’s probably the most fun to draw because he’s got this fire in his eyes and it’s a difficult thing to make that happen on paper, but when it happens it’s so wonderful.”

 

Grantaire finally realized that he had been rambling so, though he had been about to start talking about his drawing of Bahorel, he stopped talking. He dared to look over at Valjean and was more than pleased to find that he was actually  _ smiling.  _

 

“Well, Grantaire, that’s very nice.” Valjean nodded slowly. “Very nice, indeed. If you might grant me the honor, I’d love to see your drawings some time.”

 

Grantaire grinned. “I would love to show you some time.”  

 

“Tell me,” Valjean said, “do you ever do any of these drawings at those student meetings of Enjolras’?”

 

Enjolras’ heart sank into his stomach. He’d been wondering when the student organization was going to come up.

 

“Um,” Grantaire said. His eyes grew wide and he glanced at Enjolras quickly before answering. “Yes. Sometimes I do, yes.”

 

“I see,” Valjean said. “Marius, are you also part of this student organization?”

 

Marius answered cautiously, “Yes. I am.”

 

“Hm,” Valjean said. He grew silent then and took a bite of his food. 

 

“I am, too,” Eponine piped in. 

 

“Eponine,” Valjean said, astonished. 

 

“It’s a good group,” Eponine told him. “We’ve done some great things and it’s all because of Enjolras.  _ Enjolras  _ has done some incredible things, organized some amazing rallies and protests. He keeps us safe, too. We’re always safe. None of us have ever gotten hurt, but we are making a difference.”

 

“Yeah,” Marius said, despite how he still shook beneath Valjean’s gaze. “Yeah, it’s a good thing Enjolras has got going. He’s brought so many of us, who wouldn’t be friends otherwise, together. I have met,” he paused to look at Cosette, “some wonderful people through Enjolras’ student group. And like Eponine said, we really are starting to make a difference.”

 

Cosette smiled. “We’re being the change that we want to see in the world.”

 

Grantaire smiled and nodded in agreement. He held Enjolras’ hand beneath the table. “Damn right we are.”

 

Valjean didn’t know what to say to all that, but Enjolras squeezed Grantaire’s hand under the table and he spoke to Cosette without glaring at her for the first time in days: “The change… I like that.”

 

***

 

“Dad?” Enjolras said. It was Sunday morning and Valjean was sat on the front porch swing. “Can I sit with you?”

 

“Of course, son,” Valjean said. He smiled. “You can  _ always  _ sit with me.”

 

Enjolras returned the smile and took the spot beside his father. He was silent for a few minutes before he said, “I’m sorry.”

 

“I don’t mind that you and your sister are dating,” Valjean said. “You’re seventeen, you’re going to university in Autumn. You’re growing up and these things are going to happen, I do understand that. I just want to know about it so that I can keep you safe, you know what I mean? That’s my job.”

 

“That’s — I do know what you mean, Dad, and I am sorry that I didn’t tell you I was in a relationship,” Enjolras said. “But that’s not what I was talking about.”

 

Valjean tilted his head. “What were you talking about, then? Is there  _ more  _ for me to find out about because it’s been a lot so far and I don’t know how much more I can handle.”

 

“Dad,” Enjolras said slowly, “I’m  _ gay. _ ”

 

“Oh,” Valjean said. “Yes.”

 

“And I’m sorry,” Enjolras said. “I know how religious you are and how much you believe in the Bible and respect that, I really do. But I’m gay.”

 

“Enjolras,” Valjean sighed. “ _ I  _ am the one who should be sorry. I have failed as your father.”

 

“No, you haven’t.” Enjolras frowned. “Dad, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

 

“There is nothing wrong with you, no, you’re absolutely right,” Valjean said. He reached out and held onto Enjolras’ shoulder. “But if you thought that I cared more about my religion than I did about you — if you thought that you couldn’t tell me you’re gay because you thought I’d be angry with you — then I have failed as a parent. You never should have had to live with that.”

 

“I — I just thought you didn’t agree with it and —”

 

Valjean cut his son off by pulling him into a tight hug. “I don’t believe in all that hateful stuff, but regardless, you are my son and I love you no matter what.”

 

Enjolras buried his face against his father’s shoulder. He tried to choke back the sob that came but it racked his body. Valjean held the back of his head, held onto him while his cried.

 

“Thank you,” Enjolras sobbed. 

 

“You don’t have anything to thank me for,” Valjean chuckled. “Enjolras, I shouldn’t have said what I said on Tuesday, when Cosette said that you had a boyfriend. I shouldn’t have asked if she meant to say girlfriend and I am very, very sorry for that as well.”

 

Enjolras pulled back from the hug and shook his head. “It’s fine. It was an in-the-moment kind of thing. I know — I know now, anyway — that you didn’t mean it like that.”

 

“Good,” Valjean said. “Do you feel better now?”

 

“Much.” Enjolras nodded. “Thank you.”

 

For a while, then, they sat in silence. Eventually, however, Enjolras spoke: “I’m going to be eighteen in a month. I know that, until then, you can stop me from keeping this student meetings going. I just want you to know that when I’m eighteen I’m going to start them up again. They’re important. They’re good.”

 

“I know,” Valjean said. He sighed. “I won’t stop you.”

 

Enjolras grinned. “Really?”

 

“Yes, really,” Valjean said. He hugged his son again. “Just please promise me that you’ll be careful.”

 

“I promise,” Enjolras said quickly. “I always am.  _ Thank you. _ ”

 

“You’re welcome,” Valjean said. “And Enjolras.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I like Grantaire,” Valjean told him. “He’s a good kid. I’m still not a big fan of him pursuing art as a career, but I can tell that he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

 

“That means more to me than you know,” Enjolras said.

 

“Good.”

 

“What about Marius? What do you think of him?” Enjolras asked. 

 

“Seems smart enough.” Valjean shrugged. “I don’t know. He also seems like he’s kind of a tool.”

 

Enjolras laughed. “Yeah, that’s sort of a popular opinion.”

 

“Is it?” Valjean asked and he chuckled. 

 

“He’s sweet, though,” Enjolras sighed. “And respectful. And I do think that he truly cares for Cosette.”

 

“Well, I suppose that’s all that matters,” Valjean said.

 

Again, they fell into silence. They both considered what they wanted to say next, but before either of them got the chance, a car drove up and parked alongside the curb in front of the house.    
  
“Who’s that?” Valjean asked. 

 

“That’s Grantaire,” Enjolras said. 

 

The driver’s side door popped open. “Enjolras! Oh, hello, Mr. Valjean! Enjolras, I’ve had a brilliant idea! Is it a bad time?”

 

“Um —”

 

“No,” Valjean said. “It’s a perfect time.”

 

“Is it?” Enjolras asked.

 

“Yes,” Valjean said, nodding. “Go on, have fun. Don’t be out past curfew.”

 

Enjolras grinned, hugged his father one more time, then he jumped up and hurried down to Grantaire. “Okay, what’s this brilliant idea of yours, then?”

 

“We’ve been saying forever that your student organization needs a name,” Grantaire said. “Les Amis has been the temporary title but we’ve been searching and searching for a good one, right? That says what we’re trying to do right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“Well, I was thinking about what Cosette said,” Grantaire said, “and then what you said… The Change!”

 

Valjean watched the car drive away, waited until he couldn’t see it anymore before he rose to his feet and headed inside the house. In the kitchen, Cosette was pouring herself a cup of coffee.    
  


“Morning, Daddy,” she said cautiously. 

 

“Good morning, dear,” Valjean said. “What do you say you go get dressed, we’ll go to Sunday mass, and then we can go get some breakfast?”

 

“Sounds wonderful.” Cosette grinned. “Could we — um — maybe go pick up Marius? And he could come with us?”

 

“He goes to church?” Valjean asked. 

 

“Every Sunday, yeah.” Cosette nodded. 

 

“Excellent,” Valjean said. “Let’s go get him then. I think it’s going to be a good morning.”

  
Cosette smiled. “I think so, too, Dad.”


End file.
